


That's Just How It Is

by EdnaRose



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Crack, Family, Fluff, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-05 01:02:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3099191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdnaRose/pseuds/EdnaRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor doesn't do domestic-- but when Shireen invites him and Rose to a party, he has to face the prospect of being a part of the Tyler's lives. And being a part of the Tyler Women's lives means attending parties.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's Just How It Is

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in 2013 as part of the "I Bring Life Project" on Tumblr, leading up to the 50th anniversary special.

"Rose Marion Tyler," the voice on the other end of the line shrieked. Rose jumped back, holding the phone out at an arms length and looking at the Doctor who raised his eyebrows in surprise and amusement.

 

"It’s my birthday and you aren’t here, I’m twenty one  this year, and we were going to hit the town! Remember? Remember, Rose, you promised. Back in Comprehensive?"

"Doctor, what’s the date on this call," she whispered at him, hoping Shireen couldn’t hear through the receiver. 

"May 5th, 2006," he mouthed at her, after running the scan on the signal. Rose gulped.

"ROSE, ARE YOU THERE? YOU CAN’T JUST IGNORE ME YOU TWAT!"

"Shireen, I’m home," she yelled back in a panic.The Doctor blanched from the other side of the console.

"You’re what," he yelled. Rose glared and turned around. 

"Yeah, I got home last night. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t show up for your birthday?"

"No, but you’re mum said you weren’t coming. Said you was off gallivantin’ with himself." There was a beat of silence before she started off again. "Who the hell is ‘himself,’ anyway? Rose Tyler, have you got a fella? Are you holding out on me? You said you was traveling, but I never thought you were travelling with a  _man_! Who is he? Do I get to meet him? Did you bring him with you?  _Are you sleeping with him?”_

The onslaught of questions startled her. She didn’t have answers. She turned to the Doctor. 

"Doctor," she whispered. "Land us at mum’s. Now."

He was about to protest when she sent him another one of her glares, after which he set the coordinates and mumbled something to himself.

"If there’s a party, I’m not going," he snapped as they landed.

Rose smiled at  him, making him grumble even louder at the unfair advantage she had over him. 

"Shireen," she spoke into the the phone. "I have to go. I’ll see you at half past five, yeah?"

***

"And so then I told her, I says, ‘You can’t just skip out and come back so quickly. You have to give warnin.’ Right? Because she’s the one wants to leave in such a hurry," Jackie was saying into her own telephone as she heard the TARDIS start to materialize somewhere within her flat. "Just a bit, Lucy, I think she’s here."

 

By chance, the machine hadn’t landed in her living room, which she was glad of. Having to clean up the mess of papers around her sofa was always so tiresome, and lecturing that bloody alien never did any good, either. However, the sounds coming from Rose’s room weren’t very enticing, either.

 

"Good job, now mum can’t complain. This’ll be my mess to clean," She heard Rose say as she opened the wooden door. 

 

"And what do you call this," Jackie yelled, watching the two of them leave Rose’s room.

 

"Mum, I’m late for Shireen’s party. I’ll talk to you later," she said over her shoulder, walking toward the flat door. "Keep the Doctor company!"

 

She looked over at the alien still standing in the doorway of her daughter’s bedroom. “And what’s this, then,” she asked, tapping her foot.

 

He shrugged. “I don’t do birthday parties,” he mumbled, looking down.

 

Jackie raised her eyebrow in a smirk. “Is that so, Mr. Spacehead?”

He looked up to see her face. “Rose’s birthday is a month. You gonna skip out on that party, too?”

 

He straightened his posture significantly. “What party?”

 

"I’m plannin’ her a party. Should I cross you off the invite list, then?"

He was squirming. And how she enjoyed watching him. If there was any way she was going to make this man start acting like a part of the family, she’d have to humiliate him like she would any other child she had.

 

"I’ll bet you never had me on that list, Jackie," he sighed, moving to the bed and having a seat. Jackie followed him in.

 

"Doctor, don’t you start in on me! You’re in our lives, and I’d like to consider myself a nice person. Of course you’re invited. Unless you’d rather drop her off without a word and pick her up afterward. I’m sure she’d be glad of that." Her voice oozed sarcasm, making the Doctor squirm even more.

 

"I’ll come, then," he said. "But don’t expect me to make lighthearted conversation." After a thought he added, "I don’t usually do domestic."

 

"Well," Jackie countered, "if you plan on being a part of this family, I suggest you get used to it." Thinking that had him floored well enough, she turned and left him.

 

"Part of the family? Noo no nonoo noooo," he exclaimed, jumping up and following her. "What was that supposed to mean," she was in the kitchen.

 

"Could you put the kettle on and sit down, Doctor," she asked with nonchalance. He reached up to the third cupboard where the kettle was stored and filled it with water. It wasn’t until after he turned on the stove and took a seat at the table, that he realized what he’d just done.

 

Jackie was smirking at him. “What was that, Doctor.”

 

His tongue was tied. So Jackie took the opportunity to speak more.

 

"I know what you two are doing. And I know you’re both stupid, uh uh, let me finish," she tutted when he tried to interrupt. "She loves you, and you’d be half a plum to say you weren’t just as smitten with her."

 

He looked down at his white converse trainers. “Now, Doctor. You’re a part of my family, whether you like it or not. And I don’t want you ruining happy occasions by trying to deny it.”

 

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," he tried, but Jackie stared him down.

 

"Oh, you really are daft, aren’t you. I give you my blessing, make you tea, and invite you to family celebrations and what do you do?"

 

His mouth was gaping like a fish. A fish out of water. A fish in the wrong tank. With the wrong water temperature. A salmon in the Amazon. A whale in a bathtub.

 

"Doctor, why don’t you start getting used to parties, then, eh?"

 

"I’m not sure I’m ready to meet Shireen," he shuddered, finally looking Jackie in the eye. She laughed.

 

"That’s alright then. I’ve got biscuits in the cupboard. Eastenders is on in five."

 

The Doctor stood, grabbing the Jammy Dodgers and making his way into the Tyler living room.


End file.
